This story comes from the Princeton Alumni Weekly. John Batchelor — host of the syndicated John Batchelor Show, originating from 770-AM WABC in New York — was diagnosed in October 2018 with a malignant tumor at the base of his tongue that threatened his ability to speak on-air. But Batchelor had other plans. On November 2, he entered Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for surgery. The surgery was a success and Batchelor gave himself two weeks to learn to speak again. Sure enough, on November 19, he recorded a 76-minute interview.
Next came six weeks of radiation therapy. This time, Batchelor was determined to stay on-air throughout. Every weekday for six weeks began with the radio host submitting himself to a robot that delivered precise doses of radiation to his neck. Strains of Steely Dan, the Eagles, or Creedence Clearwater Revival coming through his headphones, as he tried hard to remain perfectly still for the two or three songs he would play during these sessions.
But Batchelor fought through it all and is still going strong.
If anyone has a radio story that’s even half this amazing, we’d love to hear it.
